The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is a year-round educational and athletic facility designed to provide high-quality after-school and summer learning programs for boys and girls in Washington, D.C., neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River."

The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is a year-round educational and athletic facility designed to provide high-quality after-school and summer learning programs for boys and girls in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. The Academy aims to benefit Washington, D.C. in a number of ways:

Families. Safe, positive, and engaging programming during the critical after-school hours and in the summer

Schools. Reinforcement of school curriculum in engaging ways and prevention of summer learning loss

Wards 7 & 8. Economic development and community-building

Communities. A venue for uniting local and corporate leaders, government officials, and the Washington Nationals Baseball Club

"If it weren't for a similar program that I took part in as a kid, I may never have had the chance to succeed in school, learn the game of baseball and make it to the Majors."

- Nationals Short Stop Ian Desmond

Mission Statement:The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is focused on creating an enduring environment for high-quality after-school and summer programs that integrate baseball, academics, and the value of teamwork in a safe environment for youth living in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

The Academy will open its doors in the fall of 2013. Creative programming, based on nationally acclaimed models, will help boys and girls:

Develop a passion for and skill in the game of baseball

Improve English Language Arts and Mathematics outcomes

Be physically active, learn about nutrition and how to cook healthy foods

Grow through the years with an organization committed to their success

Located only a few miles from Nationals Park, the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is in Ward 7's Fort Dupont Park on land that was secured through the cooperation of the DC and Federal governments.

In partnership with Higher Achievement, the Academy will offer comprehensive programs promoting learning, health, and team building designed to meet the needs of youth living in neighborhoods surrounding the complex. The Academy will provide a safe space for a variety of activities ranging from baseball and softball instruction, to literacy and math lessons, and healthy food preparation in the facility's on-site teaching kitchen. The program is modeled in large part after Harlem RBI, the pre-eminent youth development organization affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since 2005, more than 97% of Harlem RBI kids have graduated from high school; in 2010, 95% went on to college. To achieve comparable results for the children of Washington, D.C., the professional educators, coaches and trained volunteers of the Academy will replicate the best practices of this program.

Emphasis is placed on:

Literacy and Math: fundamental skills from which other learning grows

Health: proper fitness and nutrition provides children with the building blocks to be successful athletes, students and citizens

Baseball Skill Development: learning a love for the game in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment

Teamwork: learning to work with others creates the basis for sustained, healthy relationships and leadership within the school, community and workplace

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